It can be surprisingly difficult on popular marketplaces to work out what product you’re actually buying from the online narrative – and this brainteaser has been created with genuinely baffling listing information.
It comes after a study of 2,000 adults found a quarter of consumers have received a product that wasn’t the size they were expecting, while one in five have been surprised to receive something entirely different to what they thought they’d bought.
And 25 per cent have bought something online and ended up getting the size or volume completely wrong.
Respondents cited experiences such as ordering a PC but a gaming chair turned up instead, buying clothing and shoes which turned out to be children’s sizes – and purchasing musical instruments where only the keys arrived instead of the whole thing.
An expert from e-commerce marketplace specialists Optimizon, which commissioned the study, said: “Shoppers are often misled by poorly worded listings, which cause untold confusion and damage trust in the marketplace.
“Sadly, in a few cases the deception is entirely intentional.
“Thankfully the more trusted marketplaces like Amazon, eBay and Wayfair are increasingly encouraging brands to sell directly through their platforms, meaning that shoppers receive a better experience, and more importantly, get exactly what they ordered.”
It also emerged more than a third feel like they’ve been ‘conned’ by misleading pictures, information or products not being authentic.
And respondents have felt duped at least four times when making online buys from online marketplaces such as AliExpress or Wish.
However, most trust was placed in Amazon, eBay and Etsy – with the same trio the most frequently used platforms.
The main benefits of such marketplaces were cited as being the ability to find better value items, comparing products and the variety on offer.
Of the least trusted sites, the inability to tell the quality of a product, it being difficult
